pitiful

pit-i-ful · adjective

imported

Definitions

adjective

  1. 1.

    Deserving or arousing pity; causing feelings of sadness and sympathy.

  2. 2.

    Deserving contempt; inadequate or worthless.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    a pitiful sight — Something that evokes deep sympathy or contempt
  • •
    pitiful excuse — A weak or inadequate justification

Related words

Antonyms: admirable, enviable, impressive
See also: compassion, pathetic, pitiless, pity
Synonyms: deplorable, lamentable, miserable, pathetic, wretched

Etymology

From Middle English piteful, from pity + -ful. The word originally meant "full of pity, compassionate" but shifted to mean "deserving pity" by the 15th century.